Now, my children are all grown and out the door—but I remember many were the times when I heard a whining ‘Why?’ and responded---“Because I told you so—now do it.” Rather it was to clean up a room, finish their chores, go out to play, do their homework—it didn’t matter—because I am the parent—and know what is best for you—“do as you are told.”
Last night as I drifted off to sleep, mumbling unspoken words about the struggle all day to just do, to pray, or to make the effort to ‘care and serve. “What does it matter what I do?”---Here come these words. “Because I told you so.”
Immediately, I smiled and went to sleep—saying ‘thank You God, for getting in the last Word—that I needed to hear.’
Waking up this morning, after taking care of the ‘alarm clocks’ or my animals—I came to reflect and think more on “Because I told you so.” In His love for us, we are given many instructions through the Gospels and Epistles, through all the readings of the Old Testament too. We were given stories, and parables, Psalms, and Proverbs—Words from the Prophets and specific Words to the Apostles and ultimately to us. Words that warn and advise encourage and speak of tender merciful love—and ultimately all these Words are “Because I told you so” words or commands. Some are gentle—some or very stern and direct. “I command you to love as I have loved you.” “Stay awake, alert, pray lest you be tested.” “Ask and it shall be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened,”
The entire chapters of John contain a great many words spoken by Jesus to us. All of the messages in the Bible given to the Apostles, to the Israelites, to anyone they were addressed to, these Words spoken from God’s Wisdom and Love---are words spoken directly to us. Many are the times, that I would say, “Speak Lord, I am listening.” I would open the Bible at random and speak He did!
“Therefore, steadfastly run the race, go forth and spread the Good News of Love, love as Jesus loved. Be humble and serve, give not expecting to receive, rejoice always, give thanks and praise and pray without ceasing---Because I told you so---I know how very important it is for your joy to be complete, for your safety and salvation of your soul that you do. Now do as you are told, for I am the Father who loves you!”
(The above is one of the personal stories of how the Bible spoke to my heart. I hope it helps to open your inner ear, so that you too, will know that Inner Voice.)
If you are really serious and eager to hear God speak to you---find out all you can about the Words God Spoke, for He told us so!! Keep them on your lips, in your heart and first in your mind as you go about your day. The very first place to start if you desire to hear God speak to you is in His Word. If you do not have a large ‘vocabulary’ of the Words of God---then how will you know “is that You God speaking to me?”
Know your Scripture readings and have favorite verses to quote as needed for they are the “Sword” that will send evil fleeing. Do you recall how Jesus did battle with the devil in the desert? He quoted scripture! That was a teaching by example for us to KNOW how to handle any temptation that comes our way.
A friend sent me an email telling his story of the Power of God’s Word in his life:
From: Marc Schumacher
Hello Sister: the most dramatic intervention of God happened to me on 12.12.12. I had lost my Job on 5.9.12, and all income, because of 3 Work Accidents, the last happened Dec.2010. In Medical terms, I have a herniated Disk a bulging disk and a piece of bone broke off a vertebra, which pushes into the Spinal canal, with a sharp edge, in my neck. My Back, between Ribs and Hips, has 1 undamaged Disk left in it. 5 bulging Disk, 3 moderate degenerative Disk and the very bottom Disk is torn. I should be in a Wheelchair. Pain? You better know it. How did I work 2 more Years like that?? I don’t know.
To that point, I had been a “can do all, and do all well”, kind of Guy, really blessed with my Education as Toolmaker. But, I worked also on Cars and everything else around the house, hardly needed anybody else to come and fix anything. I had run the Water-, the Gas- , the Electricity-, and the Sewer lines to my house, all buried knee deep, by Hand of course, mixed and poured my own concrete, split wood you name it, it was done. A one man Army.
For the Air-conditioning a Service man came, everything else was hooked up by the Power Company’s, at the Poles I set, and all works since.
On 12.12.12, after a strong personal disappointment I decided to kill myself. Honestly, think about it, I had become a financial Burden, a physical Burden, and there was no more Happiness found in me. I am highly allergic to any medications, because of another Work accident, in the early 90’s, where a Chemical, I worked with daily, penetrated through the skin and attacked my Nervous System and Liver.
So this “Multiple Chemical Allergy’s” left me without any “Pain Killers”, my Kidneys where shutting down, hurting terrible and peeing blood. On top of that, I had allergic reactions [2x] to the “Pain Medicine” the Doctors was shooting straight into my spine. That alone should have killed me, because it was in the spinal fluid that also is around the brain. Not only had I horrible Back pain, but the worst Migraines, that were affected by light and noise.
The House was paid, no mayor Bills, and I just had finished paying my last Child support, for my son. I have 2 Kids from my first “Marriage”, that couldn’t care less, that obviously affected me too. Mr. can do, wasn’t worth nothing anymore, I was done........
Preparing my “Demise” something happened. This is the amazing thing; I never heard anything, never saw anything, but all the sudden I got this feeling all over me, like in every single cell of my body which told me: “Everything is going to be all right”.
My pain got less, my worries faded; Peace overcame me, because I believed that: “Everything is going to be all right.”
Though, the next years were painful and still hard, but we started to go to “a church”. The Holy Spirit whispered to me Deuteronomy and Malachi, on two different occasions, while I had stayed home, because it was so cold in there. He never spoke in “that church”, but here at home, or on the Way to and from “that church”. As a matter of fact, I hurt terrible in “that church”, so very cold, it took hours of heat pad and blankets to get better.
So when I got to read “GOD’S LAW”, Deuteronomy, I realized my sin, and how far I was from God, and how close to everlasting Hell. An absolute sadness overcame me and I prayed to the Father, with many tears, and gave my life to Jesus. But, all had a purpose, “that church” uses 66 Books, protestant, of the Catholic 73 Books, but it is part of God’s Word.
I started reading and studying God’s Word, every day, reading it out loud. The Bible came alive, the things I read, happened around me and in the World. I realized, this is not some old Book, no this Book has Power, especially when we speak live into God’s Word. This Book, God’s Word, tells of the Past, but also of the Present, and more worrisome of things to come, the Future, and why they come. It tells of why things went bad for Israel and why they are bad and getting worse, for us, today. I used God’s Word for my own prayers, and things started working, prayers started to being answered. While still attending “that Church”, the Teacher told us: “The Old Testament, don’t worry about it anymore.” That started me searching the “TRUTH”. I thought I had read this, but the way it was told, and burnt into my mind, it is not written like that in the Bible. I knew, by searching, there was something not right with “that Church”, and we started going to the Spanish Charismatic Service in the Catholic Church, while still attending Sunday’s at “that church”.
On our third visit there, on 4.10.2015, I was slain and reborn in the Spirit, while attending a Spanish Charismatic Praise Service. I do not speak Spanish by the way. God healed me right there, that Day of these horrible Migraines. I received 2 more Healings in Adoration, after that.
People, seek GOD, and seek his DOCTRINE, His WILL. HE is TRUTH, HIS WORD is TRUTH! It is GOD that opens the Gates of Heaven, NO ONE ELSE!
May GOD bless you: Marc Schumacher
Now that testimony in itself should help you know that God still speaks to us!
